


We Will Overcome

by LapsedPacifist



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender, 終わりのセラフ | Owari no Seraph | Seraph of the End
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-02-24 05:03:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13206540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LapsedPacifist/pseuds/LapsedPacifist
Summary: Shiro and Keith were best friends, both in the United Nations Demon Army, both dreaming of greatness - together, of course. They were the best then they were standing side by side, no matter what.And then Shiro disappeared.Four years later, they meet again.Only this time on the opposite sides of the battlefield.





	We Will Overcome

**Prologue**

 

Keith was seven when he met him for the first time. It was right after the disaster, the catastrophe that a thirteen-year old Shiro just barely managed to survive. It's Shiro who helped them all escape the vampires, it’s Shiro who brought them all to the allied forces that escaped the virus, and it’s Shiro’s negotiation skills that got them all a place to stay and call home.

Keith couldn’t help but admire him. Well, not so much admire as stare at him almost awestruck.

But then they got separated as Shiro left for a different school as the orphans he’d saved, and they get shuffled around as well, looking for appropriate foster parents. With the catastrophe, the whole system had fallen apart, and there were no more orphanages that could take them.

It was unfortunate, and Keith cried as Shiro said his goodbyes, hugging him as tight as his skinny and fragile body was able at that time. Shiro patted his head affectionately, and left.

They saw each other again, five years later.

Keith had finally entered _the school,_ the Secondary Shibuya High, for young wannabe soldiers. That was where Shiro, who was already a Captain at that time, came in.

The allied forces were stretched thin, their numbers far away from adequate, and they welcomed newcomers with gusto. They also sent out lots of scouting parties to schools in all regions, to bring prospecting young students directly to them, as normal training would take too long and they needed new blood _now._

And that was where Keith saw him again, five years later, now not a young teenager anymore. He had no idea if Shiro still remembered him, as he was only one of many that Shiro saved all those years ago. For them it would be crazy to forget their saviour, but Shiro had no obligation to remember…

And that was when Shiro turned around from where he was speaking to the headmaster, and shyly smiled at him: “Keith, right? Do you still remember me?”

Keith was embarrassed to admit that he did, indeed, reply with: “How could I ever forget someone like you?”

The blinding smile Shiro offered him then was enough to make him forget what idiotic thing he just uttered.

So he got drafted, three years early, still wet behind the ears concerning anything supernatural. It was quite hard, at the beginning. At first he had even wondered if it was merely nostalgia or maybe misplaced guilt that made Shiro decide bringing him in was a good idea. He was pretty clueless about army’s day-to-day work, he had huge issues with discipline, and his teamwork skills were _atrocious._

Even though Shiro was giving him extra training, Keith’s young age and complete ignorance of anything mystical and occult before he came to the army, proved too detrimental for him to achieve anything even close to average results. He was barely above minimal required skills in most areas.

His peers were quite above him in their combat abilities. Even after half a year of serious training, he was nowhere near their power levels, especially when they started to receive their gear. And they made sure that he was aware of that.

He could hear people talking behind his back but also right into his face, _accidentally_ spill something over him or kick him when he was least suspecting.

“It’s not like he comes from a _family!”_ he heard one day a young lieutenant exclaim. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks! He’s _useless_!”

He was so used to it by now he almost completely ignored it.

“He’s still a human being!”

_Almost._

“Captain Shirogane, with all due respect, I don’t understand why you continue to protect him! He will be gone soon enough when he fails to acquire a cursed weapon. Why did you even think this was a good idea?”

Keith pressed himself to the wall, hoping that the cabinet between him and the arguing pair would be enough to hide him.

“You forget yourself, Second Lieutenant Takagi,” said Shiro, his voice now very cold. “You are not from a prestigious family either. I would advise you to keep your opinions to yourself, _especially_ when the only thing that they manage to convey is criticism of _myself._ Is this clear?”

The poor girl's voice trembled as she snapped a salute and a meek: “Y-yes, Captain, sir!” before she disappeared.

Shiro chuckled. “You can come out now,” he said.

“Why were you so upset with her?” Keith asked, slowly approaching. “It’s not like she was wrong. The only reason I’m still here is that you are vouching for me and they don’t want to get their star pupil angry.”

“Keith, that’s not-”

“Don’t!” snapped Keith, pushing Shiro’s reaching hand back. “We both know that it is, so don’t try to deny it. You made a mistake picking me, _live with it.”_

And with that, Keith turned and marched away, ignoring Shiro’s desperate calls.

As far as he was concerned, the question about his departure wasn’t of an _if_ but more of a _when_ type. The fact that he was only proving other right didn’t bother him anywhere near the fact the he knew he was disappointing Shiro.

Shiro, sad? That was unacceptable.

He didn’t have many options. He needed a cursed gear, immediately. But even with a sudden improvement of his work, there was no way that the army would just let him test for a demonic weapon out of the blue. He was pretty good in hand to hand combat and with close range assault weaponry, but that was it. Besides, ‘pretty good’ was _not good enough._ So no weapon testing for him, the orphaned scum.

And if they didn’t let him do that, he would be thrown out. Never see Shiro again. _Unacceptable._

There was only one clear choice.

He ran away.

* * *

One week later he returned, dragging a side sword with him.

Shiro was waiting for him, his weapon of choice, a halberd, leaning on the wall next to him. His face was blank, and there were no other people around. That didn’t mean that nobody was watching, though. Keith had learned that the hard way.

“So,” Shiro said, “you didn’t become vampire food. Damn it, with such a stupid stunt you almost deserved such a gruesome fate.”

All that was said in a cold, lifeless tone. Keith shuddered under Shiro’s unrelenting gaze, but didn’t answer.

“Well then,” sighed Shiro, “you leave me no choice,” he said, lifting the halberd and swinging it at Keith with no warning.

Keith jumped a step back, drawing his own side sword now. It looked somehow small, compared to the weapon Shiro was wielding, but he knew it was strong enough. He blocked the next swing with it, sidestepping Shiro and taking a step back. He brought the sword into a defensive position in front of him, carefully eyeing Shiro.

“Why won’t you attack? Too scared?” taunted him Shiro.

When Keith didn’t move, Shiro shrugged and said: “Then you leave me no choice. _Iswed, I need you!”_

The halberd flashed purple, and with his strength enhanced Shiro swung at Keith.

It was too late to avoid it. _“Verrev, come!”_ Keith called, bringing his own demon into play. And it wasn’t such pleasure just thinking that? _His own demon._ Finally!

With the new strength that the demon offered him it was ridiculously easy to deflect the attack. And yet, he still refused to attack.

Shiro cocked his head to the side: “Holding back, Keith? That could be a serious mistake. _Iswed, posses me!”_

Now Keith didn’t hesitate anymore. If Shiro wanted a fight, he would get a fight.

 

Later, as they were sitting in the infirmary, Shiro turned to Keith with a big smile on his face: “I knew you could do it! That was amazing!”

“You were still holding back,” grumbled Keith.

Shiro rolled his eyes, and said: “So what? I’ve had my demon for three years. You had yours for, what, a week?”

“Yeah and?”

“Don’t frown like that,” chuckled Shiro and ruffled Keith’s hair. “That’s was really magnificent, believe me. Even Major General Pollux was impressed, and that doesn’t happen often.”

“...which one is that, again?” tentatively asked Keith.

“Major General Avok Pollux, of course! How could you not know that?” mock gasped Shiro. “But of course, I bet you like Colonel Romelle more.”

Keith showed him off the bed: “Really, Shiro?”

Shiro picked himself off the floor, laughing: “Alright, alright, never mind that! Besides, Allura would kill me if she’d heard I said something like that.” Then he grew serious: “But still. Keith, that was as impressive as it was foolish.”

Keith looked away from Shiro, from their linked hands where Shiro grabbed and gently held them. “I had kill on sight orders, you know that? They most certainly didn’t believe you could ever acquire a cursed weapon, much less one of such high rank. That fight was supposed to _kill you._ ” _Thank God it didn’t,_ went by unsaid.

Keith was silent.

“Please, _please_ don’t make me do that again, Keith! Do you have any idea how worried I was? You just disappeared, with no notice! I thought they finally had you killed, or kidnapped, or worse! And then they told me that you ran away? I was sure you were already dead, and they didn’t even let me search!”

Shiro had tears in his eyes now, his voice growing desperate, and it broke Keith to see him like that.

“Don’t worry, Shiro, I got what I was looking for.”

He glanced at the side sword that was resting not too far from his bed.

“Now there’s no more reason for people to force us apart.” He looked at their linked hands: “I’m not leaving your side, ever again.”

Shiro softly, hopefully smiled at him, and Keith went on: “We will rise up, _together.” I need all the power I can get so that I can protect_ you _when it matters the most. So that I won’t be as helpless as I was_ that _day._

 _“Together,”_ confirmed Shiro. “I can’t lose you, ever.”

And in that moment, looking at the future, Keith for the first time in forever didn’t see darkness lying ahead of him.

 

How foolish had he been.

 

* * *

**3 Years Later**

 

“Kondo, Tamura, clear the east corner. Velmans, you’re with me. Cain, watch our backs.”

By now it was completely natural for him, ordering his squad around and them responding exactly like he wanted them to.

“We’re going to draw the vampires out for you, Cain. Shoot them as soon as you get a clear line of sight. Tamura, this is a _stealth mission,_ so I expect silencers,” he snapped. Not that she was likely to forget, but better safe than sorry.

“Understood!” second lieutenant Tamura Kitora replied.

He nodded, even though only Velmans was near enough to see that.

“Everything seems in order. Come on, Velmans, let’s go kick some vampire ass,” he said, vaulting over the broken down car in front of them that had, up until that moment, served as their hiding place.

His katana gripped firmly in his hands, they rushed the enemy together.

* * *

 

“Your reports are ever so dry, Keith. At least _try_ making them enjoyable to read?”

Allura waved at him from where she commanded his sofa in his small apartment, lazily stretching on it.

He slowly put his cloak away, and started discarding the battleworn clothes. There was blood all over them, but it wasn’t his.

“As the Major General wishes,” he responded, hopefully sounding as dry as the reports.

Allura pouted for a moment, then flipped her long hair over her shoulder and stood up: “Excellent work, as always. The Moon Demon Company thanks you for your hard work.”

He let out a weak laugh as he collapsed onto a nearby chair. “What do you want?” he asked.

“How’s Kondo doing? Has she fully recovered from her injuries? I wasn’t sure it was alright for her to get back out as fast as she did,” she said, skillfully giving him another question instead of answering.

“Yes, she is perfectly well, her fighting as skillful as always. Now, why are you here?”

Allura tilted her head as she now stared downwards at Keith’s slumped form, and innocently asked: “Can’t I just visit a friend?” She even went so far as to flutter her eyelashes.

Keith rolled his eyes: “Cut the crap and get to the point.”

She pursed her lips: “Very well then. We are putting together a very… _special_ vampire extermination unit. Not overseen by any particular army branch, but working and existing completely by and for itself.”

“And you want me to recommend you potential candidates?” he asked.

She smiled and shook her head: “No, I want you to be a member of it.”

He stared at her for a moment, bewildered. Then, when he realised that she was being _serious,_ flung his hands up in despair: “What the fuck, Allura?”

“I know this is very… _unorthodox-”_ she begun, but he was on his feet before she could finish, his hands holding the lapels of her uniform. _“Unorthodox?_ Allura, this could be considered _treason!”_

She regarded him silently, making no attempts to free herself. It took him a moment to understand, and he immediately let her go, stumbling away.

“Are you seriously considering…” he whispered, but she simply straightened her green-black uniform, and lifted her head higher.

“It is entirely within my right, as the head of the Altean family, to create organisations unaffiliated with the United Nations Demon Army, but with the said army’s military personnel. It might not be common, it might even be frowned upon and without a precedent, but it is far from illegal. I’m not that stupid to go into direct conflict with the Pollux family.”

Now she took a step back, half-turned away from him and crossed her hands. “Of course, that doesn’t mean it will be _easy._ And that’s why I need the best of the best, Keith. I need immediate results, indisputable proof that it works, and complete obedience of my squad.”

She must’ve sensed the shocked look that he sent her, because she turned to him with a smile: “Yes, I will lead it. What, you thought I am now merely a paper pusher? Please, Keith, you know better than that!”

He sat down again, staring at his hands now: “But joining you would mean leaving _my_ squad.”

“Don’t worry,” she assured him, “I already have a potential replacements already lined up. Besides, I bet your squad never really felt quite right, huh? They are all quite older than you, you baby.”

“You are only a couple of years older, leave me alone!”

“That might be, but those years mean everything. It’s experience that counts,” she said, winking at him. “Now, I know that joining me would also mean that you would lose your command. I can’t fix that, but I am willing to promote you if you join.”

He pinched his lips together. “That’s… cool.”

“And Keith, once we’re established, we would definitely be able to run all sorts of missions, even the ones that the current command might have labeled ‘pointless’, you know.”

There was only one thing she could’ve been talking about. Judging by the look of her face, she knew that very well.

Well, that was all the incentive he needed.

“So when do we start?” he asked.

“I haven’t even explained any details to you! Our main mission! The other squad members? _Protocol?!_ ”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “As long as you… As long as I get to search for _him,_ I don’t care about other stuff.”

She nodded with a small smile, and turned towards the doors, ready to leave. But just before she stepped out, Keith’s voice stopped her.

“One last question, though. What’s this unit, or organisation, going to be called?”

Allura paused for a second, then, with a big smile on her face, said: “Voltron,” letting the doors fall close behind her.

“Voltron, huh,” pondered Keith the foreign word. “What a lame name.”

* * *

 

After Allura’s efforts had finally paid off, and Voltron became a real, actual thing that existed, Keith said his goodbyes to his squad and finally looked over the new uniform that Allura sent him a few days earlier. She had an uncanny talent for correctly guessing future events. Keith refused to believe that she was a seer, though, as she often tried to convince him.

But the uniform. It was… _Red_ . Black, white, and _red._ The shirt and trousers were black, with dark red accents around his neck and hands, but he could handle those. The white… triangle? sewn across his chest was something else, but he tried to ignore it. The short cloak that came with it was dark red as well, its rim lined with black. But the hat was where he drew the line.

“No way,” he said and threw that particular disaster into the trash.

His black and gold sheath looked quite nice with the new uniform, but wearing stylish clothing would not really help him in the field. He chuckled at how ridiculous he was being, and turned away from the mirror.

Time to meet his new squadmates. If he was lucky, they might even want to work with him.

* * *

Scratch that, _he_ didn’t want to work with _them._

* * *

After the _horrible_ first meeting, he immediately dragged Pidge - the green one - out with him, and shoved him into the first alley he could find that was dark enough.

“You look an awful lot like a certain Holt I once knew,” he said.

Pidge immediately pulled out a weapon. It was a small dagger, a katar, but its small size was no indicator of its powers.

Keith forced his hand away from the hilt of his katana, and said: “I don’t want to fight you, believe me. But I have to know… Are you Katie?”

“What is it to you?” was the snapped reply he received.

“I’m looking for them as well,” he said. “For Shiro. And for Matt. Isn’t that why you are here?”

Shoulders slumped, Pidge - no, _Katie_ \- lifted her head, and tersely said: “Yes. And you won’t stop me.”

Keith smiled: “I wasn’t planning to.”

She slowly put her katar away, still eyeing him a bit warily: “Just who exactly are you?”

“I introduced myself to you all before, remember? I’m Keith.”

“Yes, but _who_ are-”

She paused, the realization slowly sinking in: “You are _Keith.”_

“Yep,” he said, popping the letter ‘p’.

“So _you_ are that annoying little twerp that Matt sometimes talked about? Man, I never would’ve thought he was talking about the Red Lion!”

“Wait, what?” _Just what exactly did Matt tell his sister? Also, an annoying little twerp? They were having_ words _as soon as that bastard returned. And they weren’t going to be nice ones!_

 

_“That’s Matt,” Shiro pointed the guy out one day while they were eating in the cafeteria. “He’s a good friend when he’s not being a giant pain in the ass.”_

_“That’s a mean thing to say,” commented Keith, hiding his smile behind his cup._

_“He’s a mean person,” grumbled Shiro, but it was clear that he was joking._

_“Is he under your command?” asked Keith._

_Shiro shook his head: “Of course not! Like he would_ ever _listen to me. He’s a civilian, actually. He’s one of the researches working here.”_

 _“Everything about them is classified,” pouted Keith. “I don’t know_ what _they’re doing.”_

_“It’s classified with a good reason,” said Shiro, “so don’t think that I’ll tell you just because of your puppy-dog eyes.”_

* * *

“Oh man, all these exercises are making me sick,” complained Hunk - the yellow one. Keith, who was sweating next to him, took another gulp of water out of the bottle. At least, he tried to. With annoyance he discovered it was empty. Instead of walking to the nearest water fountain and refilling it, he turned and threw it into the air as far away as it would go, petulantly scowling after it. Then he turned back to Hunk.

“Haven’t you gone through this when you first enlisted?” he asked.

“Not really? I mean, I was an engineer until, what, half a year ago? That was when Allura pulled some strings and got me into the army proper. Man, has it been exhausting since then! But don’t worry! I most certainly know who you are! You are such a legend, dude! I mean, Red Lion, sir!” Hunk stammered, and offered him a weak salute.

Keith tried his best not to facepalm. This was the opposite of what he wished for.

“Hunk, it’s alright, seriously. Just call me Keith, alright?” Socializing with his team was important, right? Besides, he didn’t particularly like the starstruck looks that people got around him at the mention of that name.

“Yes, of course, whatever you want. Hey, can you show me how you did that kick before?”

“Sure,” smiled Keith. “But you mentioned before that you were an engineer. What division were you with?”

“The first,” said Hunk with a proud smile.

Keith took another look at him: “Really? You look too young for something like that.”

Hunk scratched his head: “Well, you don’t look old enough either, sir, if you pardon me saying that of course.”

“I guess your brain makes up for it, huh?” murmured Keith, not really expecting an answer as he let his head thump down on the wall behind him. “Allura sure picked some real exceptional kids.”

* * *

To be honest, Keith didn’t mind Pidge or Hunk. Rather, he kind of liked them both, and most certainly didn’t mind working with them. Even working directly under Allura wasn’t as bad as he’d feared, and he was quickly getting used to his new situation.

Well.

Except for one thing.

“For the last time, Lance, shut up and listen to me!”

If the vampires didn’t get them, then Keith would kill Lance himself. And it would be a painful, _outdrawn_ and prolonged death.

“You aren’t our leader, I don’t have to obey you!” yelled Lance back. He was standing a couple of metres behind Keith, engaged in melee combat, still armed only with a _sniper rifle_ in his hands. The vampires had them surrounded, with the rest of the squad nowhere in sight, presumably engaged somewhere else.

And Lance wasn’t listening to him. _Typical._

Well, Keith still had another card to play.

“I outrank you!”

“Since when?!”

“Since always!”

“Well,” said Lance, spinning around and knocking away two vampires with a spin of his rifle, “I am now a fully fledged First lieutenant, so I’m sure we are of equal ranking.”

Keith almost didn’t dodge a swipe because he was so busy rolling his eyes: “I’m a Lieutenant Colonel, you dumbass!”

“What! How come?” yelled Lance, stopping in the middle of an attack just to stare at Keith.

“It doesn’t matter! Just fucking listen to me, you asshole!” _If he died in this fight, because of Lance, he was most surely coming back as a demon to hunt that idiot’s ass._

* * *

“Allura! Why does Keith outrank us?”

Of course that would be the first thing Lance brought up in a meeting. Not their terrible performance on the battlefield that nearly got them all killed and turned into vampire food, not the weird behaviour of certain groups of vampires that they have observed, but _that._

“Well,” started Allura, “Keith has been in the army longer than all of you. He even had his own squad.”

“You have to be at least a Major to command a unit,” whispered Hunk to Lance.

Lance turned to him, incredulous: “Since when do _you_ know more about army structure than me?”

“Since, uhm, since I started learning about it with Pidge and Keith,” said Hunk, embarrassed. “Keith really does know a lot, just saying. And it pays off, sometimes, to know certain stuff.”

“Sure, but with Pidge and _Keith?”_ squealed Lance.

“Allura sometimes comes, too,” added Pidge.

“And you guys didn’t invite me? Traitors!”

“Like you would’ve come,” huffed Hunk. “You don’t want to get closer than ten metres to Keith when we are not on the battlefield.”

“That might be so, but still! Squad activities without me are no proper squad activities!” Lance flailed. Then, dropping his arms, he remembered something else. “Hey, Major General,” he said, turning back to Allura, “why didn’t we _all_ get bumped up to an equal rank?”

Allura, who was still quietly going over some papers with Keith hovering behind her, didn’t even lift her head: “It wouldn’t be fair. I promoted each one of you, one rank, and that should be enough.”

“What,” Pidge whispered, leaning closer to him, “you think that Keith’s got such a high rank just because he’s dating Major General?”

And of course, Lance was unable to keep quiet: _“He’s what?!”_

He jumped onto his legs, pointed a finger at Keith and yelped in his most offended voice: _“You_ are _dating_ Major General?”

Keith didn’t answer and simply looked down at Allura, who still hadn’t stopped checking the reports.

“Casual sex is not dating, Lance,” she calmly said.

“That’s not better!” squealed Lance. “I can’t believe this deception! What’s wrong with you all?!”

“How did you not know?” facepalmed Pidge. “Are you seriously _that_ oblivious?”

“Nah, he’s just in denial,” Hunk said.

“Over whom?” wanted to know Pidge.

“Alright, that’s enough!” yelled Lance. “First, you keep a huge secret from me, and then want to divulge mine? Not happening! I’m leaving! Hunk, I will see you later. Pidge, I feel betrayed. Keith, from the bottom of my heart, _fuck you._ Allura, I still adore you and beg you to reconsider! Lance out!”

* * *

“You want to hold a mock battle? For real?” asked her Keith when she presented him with the idea.

Allura continued to twirl a pencil between her fingers: “Yes, I believe it would benefit you all greatly. On the actual battlefield you can’t observe the movements of others as well because you are focused on your opponents. But in a mock battle, you can focus on the actions of others and pay more attention the moves of your teammates.”

“I’m not saying it’s not a good idea, ‘lura. How can you be certain that we won’t destroy everything around us?”

“Ah,” Allura said, “that is indeed the thing. I was actually planning to hold the battle _outside_ the city.”

“That’s dangerous,” Keith noted.

“Of course it is,” she smiled. “But I believe you can handle it.”

“By myself? Maybe. But in that group? I doubt it.”

She rolled her eyes: “Even _you_ aren’t infallible. Besides, these people that you so easily dismiss are quite capable, you know.”

“Separately, sure, but I think we’ve proven to you that we can’t work together,” he murmured.

“Oh get over yourself,” she said, a bit more forcefully than intended, if the flash of surprise on her face that followed that statement was genuine. “Sorry, that was harsh. Still, Keith, you have to adapt. This isn't solely on them, you have to change as well, to fit in.”

“I’m trying!” he huffed. “I _had_ a squad, you know? _You_ dragged me away from it.”

“We both know that that squad was not a good place for you, Keith. Stop trying to change the topic,” she said and sighed. “Never mind, I can see we will get nowhere today. Tell the others that we will hold a mock battle tomorrow, so they should come dressed properly.”

She pushed the papers that were in front of her away, sighing again and placing her head into her hands.

He walked over to her, and carefully extended his hands to brush her hair, but she shook her head and pushed his hand gently away: “No thanks, Keith.”

He tilted his head questiongly, still silently standing behind her.

She shrugged: “We both knew it was a temporal thing, didn’t we.” She straightened her body, and looked Keith into the eyes: “It’s not you, I promise, it’s just…”

Frustrated with her inability to find the right words, she cursed under her breath and muttered: “Fuck, why does this feel like a bad break up speech?”

He smiled at her: “You don’t have to tell me why, ‘lura, seriously.”

“But I want to!” she said, a bit more enthusiastically than anticipated. “It’s just… There’s _someone.”_

“Ah,” said Keith intelligently.

“Yep,” she confirmed.

“Well then,” he said and went quiet.

She was stuck staring at the wall for a moment, but then cried out: “That doesn’t mean you can’t come around anymore!”

He gave her a knowing look: “Don’t worry, I know you’ll go mad if you have no one to gossip about the _horrible_ Pollux family with.”

That reminder of their shared enemy brought a small chuckle out of her: “They are bringing shame to all of us! Seriously, they are so…” She searched for an appropriate word again.

“Incompetent? Inept? Callow?” Keith volunteered.

She laughed weakly again: “I forget how smart you really are, sometimes.”

“Just well-read, I guess. And it’s all thanks to you and your book fetish,” he smirked.

“That’s not a fetish, Keith!” she stammered, blushing hard. And then she did something totally unexpected - she went on the offense: “I could say the same about you and knives!”

He glared at her for that, and she steadily held his gaze. “Don’t even go there,” he growled.

She only smiled wider.

* * *

“I can’t believe we are on the same team,” said Lance. “By Allura’s expression I was almost certain that she was going to group me and that freaking mullet together.”

Hunk, who was standing next to him, carefully noted: “I don’t know, Lance. Maybe us working together isn’t the best idea.”

Lance whirled around to stare at him. “What do you mean?” he asked, sounding perplexed.

Hunk scratched his neck: “I mean, we are both more or less long range fighters, right?”

“Right!” confirmed Lance, proudly holding his sniper rifle.

“But the other team is now made up of two close combat fighters. That means that if we don’t get them with the first shot and they manage to reach us, we’re _dead.”_

“Oh please, no one is fast enough to escape _me!”_ huffed Lance. “Now come on, we have a battle to win.”

“Are you sure? Do you even know who we are up against?”

“A midget and a bad haircut. Chill out, dude, this’ll be an easy win for the Lancey-Lance!”

* * *

“I want a rematch!” demanded Lance half an hour later, his hair still smoking from where Pidge was able to shock him.

But Allura held her ground: “Not happening.”

“They cheated! They went out of the designated perimeter zone!”

“Because we were chasing _you,_ you idiot!” snapped Pidge. She had a bruised cheek from the butt of Lance’s rifle, but insisted that it was _fine_ and that her demon would heal her soon enough.

“We did, though, Lance,” said Hunk. He had many new holes in his cape. “So this is really on us.”

“So, are you done lying around and ready for another fight?” asked Keith, strangely energetic and without a scratch. Life just wasn’t fair sometimes, noticed Lance.

“An opportunity to kick your ass? Sure, let’s see what happens when I give it _all_ I’ve got,” drawled Lance.

“Good, good,” said Allura. “Hunk, you are with me. Lance, Pidge, you are the opposite team. Keith, you’re the lookout and the referee.”

“Wait, what?”

* * *

Allura’s weapon was a long chain, brimming with white-blue energy. She was absolutely _deadly_ with it, and emerging out of that fight everyone had multiple new bruises and more holes in their uniforms that they cared to count.

Similarly to Keith, Allura looked quite pleased with the result. “That was nice,” she offered to the exhausted squad that was lying on the floor in front of her, Keith scowling at them from the distance. “I have many more ideas about what kind of changes are we going to implement! This was truly an insightful battle!”

“How can you be so cheerful,” croaked Hunk. “This isn’t _fair.”_

“Why don’t you go beat Keith up when we are already on this?” asked Lance.

“Keith and I already know each other well enough to not need mock battles anymore. And in sparring, it is debatable who the real winner is.”

“That’s so not fair,” whined Lance.

Pidge, who was lying next to him and trying her best to resemble a dead fish, now finally moved her arm just to poke Lance in the shoulder. “Do you _want_ to go one on one with Allura or something?”

Lance was too exhausted to take the offered line and make an innuendo. Instead, he simply muttered: “It wouldn’t be the worst way to die,” and left it at that.

* * *

_"Sininen, go!”_

With that command, three balls of smoke and sparkles emerged from the tip of Lance’s sniper rifle, speeding towards the cluster of enemies surrounding his teammates.

As they hit and destroyed vampires around his squad, Pidge’s irritated voice came over the earbud: “Watch it, Lance, you almost hit me!”

“Oh please,” he mumbled, already looking for his next target through the scope; “I never miss.”

He could tell by the tense silence that Pidge _really_ wanted to say something in return, but held herself back, mostly because she didn’t want Allura to get angry at her and not because she worried about distracting Lance.

What a difference half a year makes, he silently observed. They’ve come a long way since their first meeting, and while they certainly still had disagreements and problems, they’ve at least managed to work as a team.

There was a tellatale sound of Hunk’s heavy assault cannon going off, and one of the building nearby collapsed. Lance just barely managed to spot Keith, the madman, jumping off of it and landing on a nearby bridge, where he immediately engaged vampire forces.

But Lance forced his attention elsewhere, looking for Allura. Unlike Keith, she usually didn’t venture far away from the squad, and she actually preferred to fight with at least one other squad member in her immediate vicinity.

When he finally spotted her, he immediately realised the reason for her uncharacteristic behaviour.

“Guys!” he yelled out loud, not caring if it attracted any nearby vampires, “they are taking Allura away! Up north, by the entrance to that park! Hurry!”

It was quite far from him, and there was half of a building in the way but as he peered through the scope, he knew that it didn’t matter.

“Work with me, _Sininen!_ Get them, but _don’t_ hurt Allura! _Boom!”_

* * *

“We have to go, right now! We have to save her! What are you waiting for?!”

“Calm down, Lance, we can’t just rush after her! We don’t even know where did they take her!”

“Pidge, we can’t wait! Who knows what those horrible vampires are doing to her!”

“Lance is right, Pidge, we have to help her.”

“I’m not saying that we shouldn’t but we _do_ need to organize!”

“We can’t waste any time!”

The doors suddenly opened with a loud bang, and an enraged Keith stormed through them. “Enough!” he yelled, clenching his fists. “You won’t achieve _anything_ with that inane babbling!”

He paused, and took a deep breath to calm himself. “I’m not good with speeches,” he admitted, “but we need to shape up. Y’all need to listen to me if we want to get her back.”

“So now you are in charge, huh?” huffed Lance.

“The command certainly wants me to be, yeah. And speaking of _those_ bastards… We have to move, fast, _before_ they decide to shut us down and dismiss Allura as collateral.”

“We’re with you,” quickly said Pidge.

“Well, if that’s what it takes…” grumbled Lance, then nudged Hunk after he stayed quiet for a moment too long.

“Oh, me too! Of course I wanna save Allura!”

* * *

“Just _how_ trustworthy was that intel?” asked him Pidge once they were lying together in wait. They could just barely see Lance’s spot on the distant building, but Hunk’s form was more visible as it was much closer to their hideout.

“Enough,” tersely replied Keith. He’d been pretty tense ever since they left to look for Allura. Pidge had her suspicions about why exactly was he so on edge, but she didn’t want to voice them out loud and make him even more unstable than he already was. His single mindedness, complete focus on the mission and nothing else was making her uneasy.

So they waited in silence, every minute just serving in making them feel more and more nervous.

When the first sounds of approaching vehicles could be heard, there were several deep sighs of relief over the comm system.

“On my mark,” whispered Keith, “in three.”

They haven’t seen any scouts, and the intel they’ve received didn’t mention any. As far as they were concerned, the vampires thought they didn’t need any.

“Two.”

The convoy, consisting of two trucks and at least fifteen vampires accompanying them on foot was slowly coming closer. Now they could at least see separate entities.

“One.”

The vampires were dressed in their usual white getup, each carrying two or more weapons. It didn’t look too bad.

“Go.”

That single short word was enough to turn everything into chaos. Blue shots from Lance’s rifle slammed through the windshields of the trucks, killing the drivers and stopping the convoy. Hunk’s heavy assault cannon’s yellow glow massacred one of the convoy’s sides, killing everyone on that side and blowing up all the wheels, effectively stranding the vehicles.

Before the vampires were able to regain control, regroup and attack, Keith and Pidge were already upon them.

 _“Vihreä, with me!”_ commanded Pidge, the demon surrounding the air around her with energy and sparkling electricity - in green.

She took the front truck, swiftly disposing of the enemy guards that got in her way. There weren’t many of them left, and even those that were still standing, were getting quickly picked off one by one by Lance.

It didn’t take her long to secure a way to the back of the truck, and she forced the doors open.

There was no one alive in it, simply piles and piles of boxes.

“Fuck,” she breathed, stabbing the vampire that creeped up behind her without even looking at it. “Pidge to all, the first truck is _not it._ Secure the second one!”

There was a grunt, probably from Keith, and she spun around: “I’m ditching the first one. Hunk, make sure it doesn’t move!”

“Roger that, Pidge!”

When she reached the other truck, there were no alive vampires in sight anymore, but Keith was clearly having problems with the door. It looked reinforced, a lot more sturdy

“Let me,” she said and gently pushed him aside. He let out a disappointed huff, but turned around and guarded her back while she worked.

It didn’t take long, and the doors swung open. And there was indeed Allura, bound and gagged, but _alive_ and _kicking._ Literally, out of anger it seemed.

“Allura!” Pidge gasped, half out of happiness and half to let others know they’ve found her.

She rushed forward, and quickly started working on the chains that bound Allura’s arms and legs

“We have Allura?” asked Lance. “Is she okay? Pidge, please!”

“Wohoo!” yelled Hunk. “Mission accomplished!”

 _“Not yet,”_ was Keith’s terse reply.

In that moment, Pidge finally undid the knot that held the cloth over Allura’s mouth.

As soon as Allura could breathe and speak unrestrictedly once again, she immediately gasped out: “Trap!”

At the same moment, Keith yelled: “It’s an ambush!”

* * *

They were surrounded. Well, Lance wasn’t, but Lance was too busy running for his life from a small squad of vampires that surprised him to provide any serious backup.

Allura wasn’t in her best condition, and even though Pidge brought her weapon to her, she wasn’t in any form to seriously fight.

“Fuck,” whispered Pidge.

“They seriously outnumber us,” said Hunk, his voice trembling a bit.

“We need to protect Allura,” told them Keith. “Pidge, stay with her. Hunk, work from a distance, _do not_ let any bigger groups crowd them.”

“And you?” asked Pidge, already gently grabbing Allura’s hand and steering her towards the nearby collapsed wall that would provide them at least _some_ cover.

“I’m going after the commanders,” Keith sneered. “Those bastards…”

* * *

They were bastards, sure, but also competent. The two vampires Keith had engaged in combat weren’t nobles, but they were most certainly far from the normal ones that they usually effortlessly destroyed. These two were actually putting up a good fight.

He lashed forward again, striking one enemies’ sword, but then immediately sidestepping the other one’s attack. That vampire snarled and raised its hands to bring the sword down on Keith. Keith took that moment to push the katana backwards with all the force that he had, hitting the vamp in its chest and forcing it backwards.

The first vampire chose that moment to attack, but Keith swiftly parried the attack to the side, pulled his katana upwards, and sliced the vampire’s neck.

Then he spun around, avoiding the second vamp’s attack, forcing the enemy’s weapon to the side. The vamp went after his head, but he ducked under the swing and sliced at the vamp’s stomach. The wound wasn’t very deep, but the vamp hissed in pain and took a step back. Keith didn’t hesitate, and immediately rushed the vamp, forcing it to stumble backwards. Its grip on the weapon wasn’t as strong as before, and Keith didn’t waste time. He had the vamp disarmed in a second, and decapitated in the next.

The body fell to the floor, disintegrating without its head.

He left out a disgruntled “Hell,” and turned around to rejoin the rest of the squad, when slow clapping interrupted him.

He immediately whirled around, surprised. He hadn’t heard anyone approaching.

The vampire that stood behind him was dressed in colorful clothes, the markings indicating that he was a noble.

That was not good.

“Foolish humans,” muttered the vampire, its fangs showing through its predatory smile. It pulled out its saber, which immediately turned red as the vampire pointed it at Keith.

“Come at me and prove your worth, you glorified blood bag!”

But Keith didn’t move. As impulsive as he was, he knew fully well that taking on a noble like that was almost certain suicide.

“What,” said the vampire, “are you suddenly too scared? Please! What about a bargain, huh? You defeat me, and I let all of you go in peace.”

Keith still didn’t move, just gripped the hilt tighter. Even if he had to fight, he wasn’t going to make the first move.

Then a familiar whistle came over the earbud, followed by a short click, and Keith had to fight a smile off his face.

“Alright,” he said, “do it _now.”_

The vampire’s smile stretched even wider, but it wasn’t the one Keith had been speaking to.

The shots that pierced the noble’s head and chest were light blue in colour, destroying half of its head and a good chunk of its lungs, together with its heart.

Lance now freely cheered over the comm: “We got him!”

Keith, who started moving the moment Lance’s shots appeared in his field of vision, now reached the fallen noble. He didn’t hesitate in admiring Lance’s accurate shooting, and cut his head off in one swift move.

“Damn,” then commented Lance, “they have spotted me yet again. I’m switching.”

“It’s alright, Lance,” told him Keith, watching the noble disintegrate into dust. “Focus on the others now.”

This whole thing felt a bit too… _easy._

“I’m saluting you even though you can’t see me,” said Lance.

Keith bent down to wipe the blood off of his blade on the noble’s clothes.

Even though he had been _sure_ there were no more vampires left in his immediate vicinity, something suddenly slammed into him, throwing him to the floor a good couple of metres back, with his katana slipping out of his grip.

His back hurt like Hell, and he quickly opened the eyes he had unintentionally closed at the impact, trying to ascertain his position.

Too late.

The new vampire was already upon him, forcing him on his back and holding a spetum to his neck to push his head backwards.

His katana was lying too far away for him to reach, and Lance was not watching him anymore.

Fuck.

The vamp apparently noticed his wandering looks as it pressed the spetum harder into his skin, drawing first drops of blood.

Keith growled in response, and turned his head back to the vampire to look at the monster properly, trying to spot its weakness.

Even though vampire nobles rarely had one.

It had a streak of white hair, its piercing red eyes staring at Keith. There was a scar over the bridge of his nose, and it looked like its right arm was mechanical. But even with all those changes, Keith still _recognised the face._

He couldn’t believe it. No. _This was not happening, this wasn’t possible._

But it was. And the proof was standing right in front of him, in the form of one and only _Shirogane Takashi._

“Shiro?” he brokenly whispered, the name of the person he longed to see so badly escaping him.

This was worse than his worst nightmares.

 

_“Hey, Shiro, what do you focus on when you feel your control slipping?” asked him Keith one day, in the middle of their regular sparring session._

_Shiro actually stopped his movements and dropped his hands. “Good question,” he told Keith. “Let’s take a five and I’ll explain.”_

_“It’s different for everyone, you know,” then answered him Shiro. “But it has to be something strong. Some people focus on their significant other, their families or friends. Me, on the other hand… I could never forgive myself, if something like that were to happen. If I hurt my friends, people I care about… I would rather_ die _than let my body be used for something so terrible. So I think about the consequences. About how the only thing standing between their dead bodies and the demon is_ me. _And I draw strength from that.”_

_“That doesn’t seem like a too pleasant thing to think about,” commented Keith._

_“It’s not, I know,” grimaced Shiro, “but I need something painfully real for me to be able to ignore the sweet promises my demon is usually feeding me. It shows me what is actually important, and why exactly must I fight.”_

 

“Shiro,” he whispered again.

The monster above him smirked: “So you haven’t forgotten me, have you, _Keith?”_

_This was not Shiro. Not really. It couldn't be._

 

_“I will never leave you, Keith,” murmured Shiro into Keith’s ear when Keith jumped up to hug him._

_“You are leaving right now,” mumbled Keith back._

_“It’s just a scouting mission. I’m coming back, I swear.”_

_“And then you can show me that neat trick you can do that looks like somersault but more dangerous.”_

_“And then I will show you that, sure.”_

_“I will miss you, you know.”_

_Shiro laughed softly at that and hugged Keith tighter: “Of course I do. Do you think I won’t miss you as well? But it won’t be long, I promise.”_

 

“What’s… happening?” he coughed. He couldn’t speak properly with _Shiro’s_ weapon constricting his windpipe.

“Besides all of your comrades dying, not much,” said the vampire in a cold tone.

Keith shivered under him. Those words, said in _that_ voice, were deeply unsettling.

“Don’t worry,” told him the vampire, “ _you_ are still needed, so you get to live. But the others, not so much. We will start with the midget, I suppose.”

_Oh God, not Pidge._

 

_“It wasn’t your fault, Shiro,” told him Keith as Shiro helped him bandage his right arm._

_“You got wounded, Keith, because of_ my _orders. I don’t like seeing people hurt, but I outright hate seeing people get hurt because of me.”_

_“It wasn’t your fault, really, you have to believe me. This one’s on me!” said Keith, gripping Shiro’s hand to force Shiro to look at him._

_“Shiro, you aren’t responsible for everything, you know.”_

_“But I was the leader! You were my responsibility! What if you got more seriously wounded? Or even killed? Keith, it would be pure_ torture _for me to know I caused you pain, you have to know that,” pleaded Shiro._

_“Don’t worry,” gently said Keith, “of course I do.”_

 

_That thing wasn’t Shiro._

He had to do something, _now,_ before Shiro did something he would regret forever _._

 

_“You always, always know what I’m about to do,” grumbled Keith. “Am I really that predictable?”_

_“No, actually,” said Shiro, handing Keith a towel. “You are completely unpredictable. At least, to anyone that hasn’t spent almost half a year constantly sparring with you, every damn day.”_

_“So it’s only you?” asked Keith._

_“I guess I just know you too well,” Shiro smiled. “You will have to find another sparring partner now.”_

_“Shiro!”_

 

“You know,” he managed, and the vampire tilted its head to indicate that it was at least mildly interested in whatever Keith had to say, and Keith went on: “I _will_ find a cure for whatever you bastards did to Shiro.”

The vampire smirked: “But I _am_ Shiro, Keith darling. This is just… the real me, I suppose.”

 

_“Oh the agony! The pain flowing through my veins! I am truly in Hell, is this the seventh circle?”_

_“Shiro, if you don’t shut up in the next half a second I_ will _throw this cup full of some disgusting drink that may or may not be pee at your face, I swear!”_

 _“You don’t know my feelings, my dearest Keith! To think that not even you can realize the anguish I am in right now is beyond my darkest nightma-_ FUCK! _Keith!”_

_“I was serious about the throwing!”_

_“How could you betray me, your beloved best friend? Can you not see me for who I am and realize that this is, in fact, the real me?”_

_“Do you_ want _something else thrown at your face with surprising accuracy or-?”_

_“Alright, alright, I give up. You’re no fun.”_

_“And you’re wet. Get off my bed, you big goof.”_

 

“No,” said Keith, “it really isn’t. _The real Shiro_ would’ve known not leave my weapon in my sight, you fucker.”

The vampire’s eyes flashed in surprise, and, not letting go of Keith, it turned its head to peer at the katana lying a few metres away inconspicuously.

Keith extended his hand towards it, straining to hold it steady, and exclaimed with all the strength he still possessed: _“Edoroide!”_

At that, a bright flash of red appeared above the katana, lighting up everything in sight for half a second, almost blinding them. It was immediately followed by a roar loud enough to shake buildings, and from the remains of the red sparkles in the air emerged a giant lion, easily being around seven metres long. It proudly stood above Keith’s katana, shaking it’s magnificent red mane, and growling.

Keith had to smile, despite his perilous situation.

The vampire was frozen above him, looking at the lion with something akin to… _wonder? How was that…_

And then the lion _moved._ For something so big, it could move surprisingly fast. The vampire was lying on the ground next to Keith in a picosecond, and Keith’s katana safely in his hands again. The vampire, pinned under the giant lion, couldn’t really move, but Keith still picked up its spetum and threw it further away, definitely out of quick reach.

He came to stand over the vampire, by its head. “Now you listen, _carefully,_ because Edoroide is just _itching_ to bite your head off.”

“You wouldn’t hurt your friend,” laughed the vampire.

 

_“You attacked them without reason, Keith! You broke someone’s arm over nothing! You know how bad this looks!”_

_Shiro’s yells could probably be heard over the entire dorm, but he didn’t care. He had to make Keith_ understand _exactly how serious this was._

_“Keith, they are just about ready to throw you out. I suspect the only thing keeping you here is the fact that you managed to acquire a Black Demon Series weapon, but that’s it. If this stuff continues, I won’t be able to protect you.”_

_Keith, who was lying on his bed, trying to hide himself under his blanket and desperately trying not to listen to Shiro, now kicked his legs up, letting the blanket fly away and to the floor._

_He looked at Shiro with anger in his eyes: “I never asked you to protect me! Leave me alone! I screwed up. This is on_ me. _I don’t understand what do you have to do with it!”_

_“I feel responsible for you, alright? I brought you here. What you do is also on me. Get that into your head, Keith. Your actions have consequences - you already know that. But until now, the only one suffering them was you. And this has changed.”_

_Keith refused to answer, still blankly staring into Shiro’s left shoulder._

_“Keith, what happened? What did those people say to make you attack them like that?”_

_Keith slowly lifted his head, softly chuckling: “What, you don’t believe that I attacked them without provocation anymore?”_

_“I_ know _that you would never intentionally hurt your friends,” told him Shiro with a smile._

 

“You think so?” coldly said Keith. At his nonverbal command, the lion dug its claws into the vampire’s shoulders, the dark red blood spurting to the surface. _“Think again.”_

“I don’t know _what_ you plan to achieve, _trash,_ but I _can_ tell you this: your Shiro? The one you want back? He’s _gone, and he’s not coming back.”_

Keith leaned forward and struck him across his face for that, saying: “You just can’t keep your mouth shut, can you.”

“Like you really want me to,” responded the vampire. “You need something to remind you this isn’t _really_ Shiro, don’t you? You wouldn’t be able to hurt him even slightly if it weren’t for me saying all these horrible things, huh?”

“I said, _shut up!”_ yelled Keith.

“Save your screaming for later, _honey,”_ said the vampire. “I think you will need it.”

* * *

 

He was on the roof, staring into the nothingness of the night sky when Allura approached him.

She silently sat down next to him, her legs dangling off the rooftop beside his. He didn’t acknowledge her, and kept on staring into the darkness.

She could see him shivering in the cold night’s air, underdressed as he was.

She offered him neither her cloak nor her encouraging words, but quietly waited, seating near him, for him to say something.

He finally did, whispering after almost an hour of silence: “Does he still remember?”

“I haven’t seen him since we left him with the medical teams,” slowly said Allura.

Keith only clenched his fists harder: “What is the command saying?”

“Not much,” she said, “but Coran has been talking directly to one of the med researches, and we should be able to visit soon.”

“And they are okay with that?”

“Actually, they are very much against it,” she spat out. “Thank the stars for Lieutenant General Romelle. She argued for our case, opposing her brothers and managed to secure us visitation rights.”

“Remind me later to send her flowers,” mumbled Keith. Then he went quiet again.

She thought he finished talking, but a moment later he lifted his head again and turned to her.

“Say, Allura,” he breathed out so quietly that she had to strain to hear him, “do you think it’s even possible to come back? Don’t lie to me, _please.”_

And it was that broken _please_ at the end that caused her heart to clench painfully for him.

She didn’t know what to say. She doubted he wanted to hear false platitudes from her, but the truth about the current harsh reality was not something she particularly wanted to talk about.

“I- I don’t know,” she slowly said.

Keith’s fists hit the concrete roof.

“Don’t lie to me,” he snarled.

“I don’t know, Keith! What do you want me to say?” she snapped back. “I have never encountered something like that before! I don’t _know_ what will happen! Yes, it doesn’t look good, but we’ve been surprised before, haven’t we. The best thing would be to wait.”

He let out a disgruntled huff and jumped onto his feet, turning away from her, snarling: _“Wait?_ I have done nothing _but wait_ these past four years. I refuse to wait any longer.”

* * *

 _"_ Edoroide, what do we do?”

In the dreamscape the demon didn’t appear as a giant lion. It was presenting itself as a tall, slender man with long, silky hair and dangerous violet eyes. Not that different from Keith, really, if he ignored the _big_ height difference and the red colour that was swirling around the demon.

 _“Are you really asking_ me _what to do?”_ it said, clicking its tongue irritably. _“Just how desperate are you?”_

 _Very,_ Keith wanted to say, but held himself back.

 _“You never like my plans,"_ complained the demon.

“I’m not asking for a plan of action, I just want to know-”

 _“You just want to know if you can save him,”_ the demon cooed. _“Oh, such devotion, such emotions… You truly are desperate for him, aren’t you?”_

Stubbornly, Keith kept his mouth shut.

 _“No matter,”_ said the demon, whipping its head around, its hair twirling around it, red sparks emanating from it. _“I believe I know him well enough. He is the one you’ve been pinning for all these years, isn’t he? This is truly fantastic. Just what will you do if he dies?”_

“He won’t die!” yelled Keith.

 _“The despair! Just how strong can your emotions really get, now that he’s back? Oh my, I believe you could even break like this,”_ the demon said, now licking its lips.

“Don’t you dare,” hissed Keith. “We will get him back, mark my words.”

_“And just how were you planning to do that?”_

When there was no response, the demon tilted its head: _“Was your plan really just coming to me for advice? You would have to know that that wouldn’t work.”_

“That’s what you think,” he said, and a sword materialised in his right hand. The other one gripped a small shield, readying for battle.

The demon scoffed at that, and replied: _“That’s what I know, kid. You are nowhere near powerful enough to force me to give anything up, really.”_

Keith held onto the sword for a moment longer, and then it disappeared along with the shield. “Alright then,” he said, “I won’t use force.”

 _“What,”_ the demon said, pausing for a moment, _“you, the definition of ‘brawn over brains’, are going to use rhetoric against me? Are you sure about that?”_

“Do you really think that any of those insults still work on me?” Keith said, sounding more bored than anything. “We’ve known each other for five years. This doesn’t get to me anymore.”

 _“Really,”_ said the demon.

“But forget that. You’ve said, before, that you can tell how important Shiro is to me, haven’t you. You are always inside my head, so you’ve seen how fixated I was on finding him.”

_“And now he’s here.”_

“And now he’s finally here, yeah. Do you think I would really focus any less on helping him that I have on finding him?” he asked.

The demon didn’t answer.

“I love him. I’m admitting that out loud, just in case you haven’t figured it out yourself. I’m prepared to do just about _anything_ to save him. And that most definitely includes dying.”

 _“Oh? What is this? You prepared to die a martyr just so- what? What exactly are you planning on achieving with your pointless death?”_ the demon asked, its intrigue very clear.

“We are connected, you and me. You’ve said so, multiple times. This, and my… inhumanity, I suppose, are the reasons we work so well together. There’s nobody else that can handle you, and you are _worthless_ without me,” said Keith. He wasn’t speaking with anger or sadness, was just pointing out the truth. “You _cannot_ exist without me. And I cannot exist without him. That’s a fact. So, if it comes down to it, I _will_ call upon my true power and end it all.”

There was a moment of silence.

 _“Edoroide,_ am I lying to you?” Keith now asked, completely calm.

That was the most disturbing thing. His calmness.

 _“No,”_ said the demon. _“You cannot lie to me.”_

“That’s that,” Keith said. “You _will_ help me get him back, or perish. Not alone, you will die together with a big number of those bastards that did this to him. And this is your choice.”

 _“That is no choice at all, human,”_ it snarled. _“You know that I’m compelled to fight for my continued existence no matter what.”_

Keith only raised an eyebrow in response, saying: “That’s your problem, not mine.”

_“Very well then, Keith. When do we begin?”_

 

* * *

**Epilogue**

 

 

“Keith!”

Keith whirled around, nearly dropping the books from his hands from the sudden movement.

“Lance!” he yelped when he saw who was calling after him. Lance, still dressed in his uniform, also had full hands of books, and was running towards him.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were off this week? You know, with your fiance?” asked Lance, shifting the books to prop them up against his hip.

“Not yet,” answered Keith, shaking his head, making his ponytail sway. “We’re actually just about to leave. What’s all this, though?” he asked, indicating the books in Lance’s hands. “Did Allura force you or what?”

Lance scratched the back of his neck, blushing: “Well, maybe. Actually, she’s letting me teach her swim in return for this. It’s totally worth it.”

“Oh?” smiled Keith. “That’s nice.”

“And what are you here for?” Lance said, straining to see what Keith was carrying around. “Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 5B Detailed Specifications And Adva- the fuck are you reading? Are those instructions for a fighter jet?”

“Maybe,” said Keith. “Alright, yes they are. I heard from Hunk that they might be bringing them in soon, and I’ve always wanted to fly. What better way than in a fighter jet?”

Lance stared at him for a moment, then concluded: “You are crazy.”

Keith snorted in response. “You’ve told me that many times.”

“I know,” grumbled Lance, “and you still won’t acknowledge it. So! Never mind that, how’s our favourite immortal Major General?”

“He _will_ hit you if you call him that to his face,” warned him Keith. “He isn’t that fond of his title.”

“But seriously. How’s he doing?”

“He’s mostly bored, you know how antsy he can get when he isn’t in the field enough. And he has to often work with Slav. _That’s_ just awful,” said Keith and shivered.

“Poor Shiro,” commented Lance. “But hopefully that trip of yours will help him.”

Keith just shrugged: “This is how it goes, when you are so high up the ladder.”

“And how are _you_ doing, Colonel?” asked Lance. “Any vertigo from standing up there, staring down at us plebeians?”

“I’m just fine, Lieutenant Colonel,” replied Keith smoothly. “But could you do me a favour? Can you pass a message to Lieutenant General Allura when you see her the next time?”

“Sure, why not? What do you want me to say?”

“Tell her that her boyfriend is being a jerk again,” said Keith and winked.

Lance immediately started pouting: “Hey! Not fair!”

“Well,” said Keith, “I most certainly didn’t come here to be harassed by you, have I.”

“Right!” suddenly remember Lance: “I have something to tell you! It’s really important!”

“What now,” Keith said, rolling his eyes, “are you about to tell me that you managed to hit a fly from four kilometres away while doing a handstand?”

“Four and a half, actually,” said Lance, but waved his hand to dismiss that, and went on: “And no! This is even _more_ important! Plaxum has mentioned that there is a theatre play about us! A _theatre play,_ Keith!”

“...about you?” Keith said, incredulous.

“About Voltron!”

Keith still couldn’t comprehend what ever Lance was saying: “Why would they make a theatre play about a military squad?”

“Because we are famous? Because our demons look badass? It isn’t that often that you get a squad of people who all armed with manifestation type gear together, y’know. Add to that the fact that all our demons now manifest as lions-”

“To be precise, Hunk’s and yours are _lionesses,_ and Allura’s a tigon.”

“-and there you have it! We are cool!” Lance finished.

“I don’t think any of those things are a prerequisite for our so called coolness,” said Keith, shaking his head.

“I can’t wait for them to make a movie! We are so badass!” Lance said, excitedly.

Keith face-palmed with his remaining hand, and murmured: “Is that really what you needed to feel badass?”

“No, but it helps,” he admitted.

“Well then,” Keith said, moving the books around a bit in his hands, “if that’s all, I really need to leave. Shiro’s waiting, and…”

He awkwardly motioned with his head against the checkout area.

“Oh, sure! I’m sorry for keeping you so long,” apologised Lance.

Keith dismissed the evident worry with a smile: “Don’t fret, I like talking to you. If you need anything, give us a call, alright?”

“Oh please,” huffed Lance. “We know better than to interrupt you two lovebirds while you are on your honeymoon, riiiight?” He even winked suggestively at that.

Keith almost blushed, and rolled his eyes to hide his embarrassment: “Shut up, Lance.”

“Make me, midget,” was Lance’s response.

Keith took a deep breath, before starting with the speech he had gave Lance a million times already and was about to give again: “For the last time, being mere five centimeters taller than me _does not give you the right to-”_

“Five? Try fifteen, _small bean.”_

“I _will_ kick your ass, Lance,” Keith said, narrowing his eyes and already his hand flew to where his katana was usually fixed, when he remembered that he was unarmed. Well. There was another thing he could try.

“Alright, alright, lord your height over me. But, from this day forward, _all_ Lieutenant Colonels in the Voltron division have to bow to officers of higher rank. I didn’t say salute, I said _bow._ How do you like that?”

Lance was looking at him, appalled. “Holy shit,” he murmured, “you wouldn’t dare do that.”

“Just watch me,” Keith said, already turning away.

“No, Keith, wait! Please, don’t make that an official rule! Keith! Hey! Don’t walk away! Wait! _Keith!”_


End file.
